Refrigerating plant



Jan. 3, 1939. 4 s. J. B. WHITED 2,142,163

REFRIGERAT ING PLANT Filed Oct. 24, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 3, 1939 PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATING YPLANT Samuel James Bowman Whited, Shreveport, La.

Application October 24, 1935, Serial No. 46,603

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a refrigerating apparatus.

An object of the invention is the provision of a, refrigerating apparatus in which the refrigerant is heated to create sucient pressureythen cooled, after which the compressed refrigerant is passed through an expansion chamber to lower` the temperature of a surrounding medium, a plurality of valves being employed for maintaining the proper pressures throughout the system, certain of the valves being of a particular construction to obtain the proper eiiciency.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a refrgerating apparatus in which external heat is employed for creatingpressureon the refrigerant, an automatically controlled bypass connecting the return line from the expansion chamber with a conduit that carries the refrigerating medium under pressureto the cooling coils for the refrigerant whereby when the refrigerant is heated in the boiler, said refrigerant will automatically ow to the expansion coils for the purpose of defrosting.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a valve construction for a refrigerating apparatus in which a plurality of check valves are employed for positively and eiciently controlling the back pressure in certain of the lines.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, in View of the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification; nevertheless, it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modications as define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a View in elevation of a refrigerating apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention,

Figure 2 is a Vertical section of a cooling tank showing the internal arrangement thereof,

Figure 3 is a vertical section of a device for creating pressure on the refrigerant,

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken along the line 4 4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken along the line 5 5 of Figure 3,

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical section taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 1,

Figure 'l is an enlarged Vertical section taken along the line 'l-'I of Figure 1, and

Figure 8 is a horizontal section taken along the line 8-,8 of Figure 7.

(c1. ssa- 118) Referring more particularly to the drawings, I0' designates an outer shell which houses a device for creating the proper Apressure upon a Yrefrigerant. This shell has a closed top II and a bottom portion I2.

A burner I3 is disposed within a rebox I4 of the shell il) andvis either fed with gas or oil through a pipe-I5 controlled by a Valve I6.

The bottom I2 is provided with a plurality of openings and these openings are connectedby lues Il which extend through an inner shell I8 secured to the base member I2 and passing through anvopening in the top II. The upper ends of the flues are connected to openings in a top portion i9 of the inner shell I8.

Referring more particularly to Fig. lritfwill be seen that the inner shell is provided with an `eX- tension 28 forming a stack for carrying off the exhaust gases which pass through the flues I-l.

A door 2I is hinged at 22 on the bottom of the outer shell I0 to provide `an entrance to the fireboX Ill.

The inner shell I8 forms a chamber 22 for an absorbent liquid for a refrigerant. When this absorbent liquid is heated the refrigerant is driven off in the form o-f vapor and this generation of vapor increases the pressure within the entire system.

This refrigerant may be ammonia used-in connection with an absorption medium such as lwater. ,In Fig. 3 I have indicated atV :v-fc the height to which the absorption medium. normally eX- tends. This height may Vary but the shell I8 is usually from two-thirds to three-fourths full of the absorption medium.

The spacebetween the outer shell I0 andthe inner shell I8 forms an annular chamber 23 for water which is fed bygravity through 'atpipe- 24 from a tank 25. The outlet pipe 26 for the water is in communication with the upper end .of the chamber 23 and leads to the upper end of the tank 25.

The tank 25 is normally filled with water and contains coils 30. AThese coils are fed with refrigerant under pressure from the chamber 22 by means of a pipe 3I which has a closed bottom. The upper end oi said pipe is in communication with a separator tank 32. The lower ends of the coils 30 are connected to an outlet pipe 33 which has its upper end closed and its lower end terminating in a goose-neck 34. The extreme end of the goose-neck connects with the top of a storage tank 36. This storage tank is embraced by a metal frame base member 3l which supports the tank 25.

will be presently described.

A pipe 44 connects the drum 4I with a second drum 45 and this pipe includes a coil 46 sur-A rounded by the water in the tank 25. A plurality y of pipes 41 connect the drum 45 with the drum 32. A plurality of pipes provide for an equal distribution of the refrigerant to the drum 36. 'I'he capacity of the pipes 41 approximatesthe capacity of the pipe 46.

A pipe 48 connects the upper end of the drum 32 with the lower end of the chamberr22 as shown at 49 in Fig. 3. A by-pass 50 connects the upper end of the drum 32 with the pipe 48.

A pipe I connects the storagetank 36 with an aerator, generally designated by the numeral 52. Valves 53 and 54 are included in the pipe 5I. The aerator 52 is hollow as shown inV Fig. 6 to provide an expansion chamber 55. The pipe 5I opens into the bottom of the expansion chamber and a discharge pipe 56 connects the upper end of the expansion chamber with the lower end of the chamber 22 in the inner shell I 8. The pipe 56, as shown at 51, terminates adjacent the bottom I2 of the chamber 22, whereby the expanded refrigerating medium is discharged into the chamber 22 and absorbed and the absorbent liquid is again heated whence the refrigerant is driven off and forced through the pipe 40 to the drum 4|. The pipe 5 I as shown at 35, terminates adjacent the bottom of the storage tank 36.

The Wall 60 of the expansion chamber 55 is corrugated and formed of any suitable. metal which will permit the heat from milk which is poured over the aerator tobe radiated by the walls to the refrigeration medium in the expansion chamber 55.

A check valve 6I is incorporated in the pipe 33 to prevent back pressure from the tank 36 entering the cooling coils 30.

A check valve 62 is incorporated in the return pipe 56 and adapted to prevent back pressure from the chamber 22 to the expansion chamber 55. This check valve and the check valve 43 are similar in all respects to the check valve 6I illustrated in Fig. 7 in which the bottom of the valve'casing is indicated at Gla. The bottom of the valve casing of the valve 43 is towards the chamber 22 while the bottom of the casing of the valve 62 is placed in theopposite direction and away from the chamber 22.

A by-pass pipe 63 is connected with the pipe 56 and the pipe 40 between the check valve 62 and the inner end 51 of the pipe 56. A check valve 64 is incorporated in the pipe 63 to prevent back pressure from the pipe 40 to the pipe 56. ThisV check valve allows the hot refrigerant me- Vdium inv gaseous form to pass to the expansion chamber 55 when the heating chamber is being heated whereby the expansion chamber will be defrosted. A discharge pipe 10 leading from the chamber 22 is controlled by a valve 1 I .for draining the chamber 22 of refrigerant when desired.

The check valves 43, 6I, 62 and 64 are illustrated in detail in Figs. 7 and 8. The check valve arrangement includes a housing 12 for completely enclosing the valve casing 13 forming an enlargement on the end of one of the pipes which lead into the housing 12. In the casing 13 is mounted a plurality of cages 14, each having a ball check valve 15 resting upon a seat adjacent a port 16 in the cage. Above each cage is provided a bar 11 having perforations 18 which will retain the ball Vwithin the casing while permitting the fluid to pass through the passage 18 and around the side edges of said bar. By this multiple valve arrangement it will be possible at all times to prevent back pressure in an inlet pipe since there will be always some of the balls operating for the'purpose even though others may be corroded or rendered useless by scales. At 19 I have shown a valve in the pipe 24, the purpose of which will be explained later.

'I'his in an intermittent machine, that is to say, the machine is fired intermittently. The tank is substantially Yfilled with water, as shown vin Fig. 2, and the refrigerant such as a water solution of ammonia is supplied to the chamber 22 in anyV approved manner. Before heating, the valve 19 in the pipe 24'is closed and the Water space 23 between the casing I0 and the shell I8 is drained by means of the drain cock 80. Theburner I3 is now lighted and the exhaustgases passing through the flue l1 will heat the refrigerant and drive off the ammonia gas through` the pipe 40, through the drum 4I, the coils 46 and the drum 45 and tank 32, and thence by means of the pipe 3I through the coils 30.

The refrigerating medium is not only cooled in the coils 46 and in the drums 45 and 32 but in the coils 36whence the pipe 3 will carry off the cooled refrigerating medium past the check valve arrangement `6I and thence to the storage tank ,36. Valves 53 and 54 aid in maintaining the proper pressure on the refrigerant While being cooled in the coils so that the refrigerant will substantially pass into liquid form before it enters the storage tank 36.

During the heating period both valves 53 and 54 are closed. After the heating period is completedand the liquid ammonia has accumulated in the storage tank 36 the burner is turned off, i. e., the heat is Withdrawn and the boiler is allowed to cool. At this time the valve 19 on the pipe, 24 is open and the water tank (Fig. 2) is filled to the top. Then the valves 53 and 54 are opened.

. When the valves 53 and 54 are opened the cooled and compressed refrigerating medium will pass through the pipe 5I to the expansion chamber 55 where it will absorb heat from the milk being steadily poured over the aerator and thence be converted into a gas so that said gas will pass through the pipe 56, past the check valve 62 and thence through the pipe 51 of the pipe 56 to the chamber 22 while it'will again be heated after which it will complete the cycle just described.

The check valve 64 will permit the passage of hot gases from the chamber 22 to the aerator but will act as a check for the fluid passing in the opposite direction. When the hot gases pass from chamber 22 to the aerator and the boiler III is being heated the aerator Will be defrosted.

The drum 32 acts as a separator for separating the condensed steam from the refrigerating gas since water is being used in the boilerv as an absorption medium. The pipe 48 drains the water or condensed steam tothe boiler and the by-passv 5l) conducts any steam from the upper end of the drum to the pipe rt8.

There will be little, if any, liquid. in drum 4I since during the :heating step the temperature of said drum will be approximatelythe same as in theboiler andlany liquid collected in the drum will be driven by pressure into drum 45. Only gas and steam pass over the elevated curved portion in pipe 44 and without interference.

I have stated that this device is an intermittent machine. The shell I8 is red until the check valve 6l quits operating which shows that all of the refrigerant gas has been driven out of the gas absorbing medium and this determines the end of the heating period. In burning oil the amount to be used can be determined after one firing. The amount of fuel used depends upon the size of the plant to be operated as the larger the device the more refrigeration that can be obtained. The next succeeding firing will be made when all of the refrigerant has been used from the storage tank 36.

Any kind of burner may be employed for heating the boiler and an oil burner may be employed instead of a gas burner.

I claim:

l. A refrigerating system comprising a tank adapted to be illed with a coo-ling medium, cooling coils for a refrigerating medium immersed in the tank, a heating chamber for absorbent liquid in which the refrigerant is absorbed, an outlet pipe connecting the chamber with the coils, a separator drum intercalated in the pipe, a second pipe connecting the drum with the lower end of the heating chamber, an expansion chamber, means connecting the expansion chamber with the coils, a return pipe connecting the expansion chamber with the lower end of the heating chamber, a check valve in the return pipe, a by-pass connecting the return pipe with the outlet pipe and a' check valve in the by-pass, said check valve in the by-pass permitting hot refrigerating medium in gaseous form to pass to the expansion chamber when the heating chamber is being heated.

2. A refrigerating system comprising a tank adapted to be lled with a cooling medium, cooling coils for a refrigerating medium, immersed in the tank, a heating chamber for absorbent liquid in which the refrigerant is absorbed, an outlet pipe connecting the chamber with the coils, a separator drum intercalcated in the pipe, a second pipe connecting the drum with the lower end of the heating chamber, an expansion chamber, means connecting the expansion chamber with the coils, a return pipe connecting the expansion chamber with the lower end of the heating chamber, a check Valve in the return pipe, a by-pass connecting the return pipe with the outlet pipe and a check Valve in the by-pass, said check Valve in the by-pass permitting hot refrigerant medium in gaseous form to pass to the expansion chamber when the heating chamber is being heated, said check valve in the return pipe being located between the junction of the by-pass with the return pipe and the heating chamber.

3. A refrigerating system comprising a tank adapted to be filled with a cooling medium, cooling coils for a refrigerating medium immersed in the tank, a heating chamber for absorbent liquid in which the refrigerant is absorved, an outlet pipe in communication with the chamber, a plurality of separator drums connected together, one of the drums being located exteriorly of the tank, the remaining drums .being immersed lin the Vcooling medium, one Vof -the last-mentioned drums being connected with the coils, an eX- pansion chamber, means connecting the coils with the expansion chamber, a return-pipe connecting the expansion chamber with the Vheating chamber, the outlet pipe being connected to the firstmentioned drum.

4. A refrigerating system comprising a tank adapted to be filled with a cooling medium, cooling coils for a refrigerating medium immersed in the tank, a heating chamber for absorbent liquid in which the refrigerant is absorbed, an outlet pipe in communication with the chamber, a plurality of separator drumsconnected together, one of the drums being located exteriorly of the tank, the remaining drums being immersed in the cooling medium, one of the lastmentioned drums being connected with the coils, an expansion chamber, means connecting the coils with the expansion chamber, a return pipe connecting the expansion chamber with the heating chamber, and a check valve in the outlet and return pipes, the outlet pipe being connected to the first-mentioned drum.

5. A refrigerating system comprising a tank adapted to be filled with a cooling medium, cooling coils for a refrigerating medium immersed in the tank, a heating chamber for absorbent liquid in which the refrigerant is absorbed, an outlet pipe in communication with the chamber,

a plurality of separator drums connected topansion chamber, means connecting the coils with the expansion chamber, a return pipe connecting the expansion chamber with the heating chamber, and a pipe connecting the last-mentioned drum with the bottom of the heating chamber, the outlet pipe being connected to the rst-mentioned drum.

6. A refrigerating system comprising a tank adapted to be filled with a cooling medium, cooling coils for a refrigerating medium immersed in the tank, a heating chamber for absorbent liquid in which the refrigerant is absorbed, an outlet pipe in communication with the chamber, a plurality of separator drums connected together, one of the drums being located exteriorly of the tank and connected with the outlet pipe, the remaining drums being immersed in the cooling medium, one of the last-mentioned drums being connected with the coils, an expansion chamber, means connecting the coils with the expansion chamber, and a return pipe connecting the expansion chamber with the heating chamber, a by-pass connecting the outlet pipe with the return pipe to provide a means for returning some of the heated refrigerating medium in gaseous form to the expansion chamber for defrosting purposes when the heating chamber is being heated.

'7. A refrigerating system comprising a tank adapted to be filled with a cooling medium, cool ing coils for a refrigerating medium immersed in the tank, a heating chamber for absorbent liquid in which the refrigerant is absorbed, an outlet pipe in communication with the chamber, a plurality of separator drums connected together, one of the drums being located exteriorly of the tank and connected with the outlet pipe, the remaining drums being immersed in the cooling medium, one of the last-mentioned drums being connected with the coils, an expansion chamber, means connectingy the coils with the expansion chamber, a return pipe connecting the expansion chamber with the heating chamber, a by-pass connecting the outlet pipe with the return pipe to provide a means for returning some of the heated refrigerating medium in gaseous form to the expansion chamber for defrosting purposes when the heating chamber is being heated, and a check valve in the outlet pipe, the return pipe and the by-pass.

SAMUEL JAMES BOWMAN WHITED. 

